i had uterine hysterectomy on march 1,2012 and I have not been myself ever sine after surgery i developed pneumonia and lost alot blood ;therefore I needed to have a blood transfusion it been 2 months and i have muscle weakness and chronic pain. I have been off work since Feb.

Hi,
What does your rheumy say? Did he up your lupus meds? Mine is very vague about this. He did up my dose of Prednisilone, however he does not say that the surgery is the cause of the flare.
I am so sorry you are feeling so terrible.
Hugs
U

I had colon surgery a couple of years back. I did not flare. They kept me on all my medications through the surgery. I forget if my MD upped my prednisone or not. I don't think he did. The thing that did happen to me was that I had a really bad reaction to the anasthesia and I lost all orientation (time, place, etc) and got a little paranoid and had visual hallucinations. This was from a drug called Phenergan. My best friend was with me and I drove her totally nuts because I couldn't retain what the nurses told me to do for more than two minutes. I was teaching Cinical Psych at a university at the time and I thought I was in a ship cabin and that the nurses were my doctoral students. I also thought that for a Ph.D. and an attorney, our house was pretty unattractive and I hated my "dress." This wasn't at all funny because I moved on to being in a Nazi rail-car, in a Louisianna swamp that was dark and scary and a bunch of other things. I'm SURE that if my best friend hadn't been with me, the stress from those drugs would have made me flare. I feel very sorry that you feel so badly. In a way, I'm not surprised though. Surgery is such an insult to your body. If you were anxious enough, that alone could make me flare...I don't know about you. Keep us posted. You'll be on my mind. That's for sure. I might want to add that I can't do the prep now. It makes me VERY ill, so I have not followed up on my colonoscopies.

wow summer I guess some people would pay good money for a trip like that,but I have had hallucinations before and they where very frightening, Ulrike,my doc.told me awhile back that any procedure can cause a flare,for me everything seems to,I.m facing a colonoscopy this month and last time I could not finish the prep.so I am pretty worried about getting through it this time,Cindy

Hi Cindy! Keep me posted on your prep. My MD suggested a way to work it out but naturally I can't remember what is was. Something about chicken soup all night. I've gone into Adrenal Failure from going off steroids so I cannot risk the vomiting of that blue liquid again. Sorry Ulrike, I know I'm moving my own problems into your post. We should all stay together perhaps and figure out how to get these procedures done though. We need a way to have them done to begin with, and without flares!!! Does anyone take Xanax or anything through the prep? I don't. I'm just wondering if that would help. xo to all of you.

Hi!
I don't have a problem with the prep. I have had 14 colonoscopies so far. Its the time after that causes flares. Maybe because several polyps are removed every time.
Have you tried different preps, some are better than others. My last was Halflyte or something like that. They took the Fleet prep off the market a few years ago. It was a small bottle and worked great, but it caused kidney failure in some people.
Summer: what a trip!
MZRu:did you have an infection?
U

I had a surgical breast biopsy that sent me into a two year flare (still going on) but I hadn't been diagnosed yet. The last time I saw my rheumy I asked him if maybe next time I should be more cautious about surgical procedures and he seemed irritated and snapped "why would you??" Ummm...because they make me sicker???!!! (Is there a rheumy out there with a decent personality? I haven't met one).

I'm having major surgery on the 15th and I'm already in a flare-up, I wonder what the healing process will be like. ughhhhh

Oopsy, what kind of surgery do you have to have the 15th ?
Tracy, your rheumy sounds like mine. Never a straight answer. Unless your sedrate is sky high or you are half - comatose, if you can still walk in the office "you are fine". Its so very frustrating.
U

I have to have a biopsy done of my left clavicle node, a tonisllectomy and nasal/sinus surgery. All surgeries will be done at the same time.

My rheumy, who is very good and very kind, said that I will be fine, but that my healing will be slow and I may take even longer to get the flare to settle down. I had to go off the Prednisone in prep for this surgery. I guess that hinders healing time.

i had surgery on my broken leg in march....it put me into acute kidney failure due to my lupus...my kidneys did turn back around and r ok now...so keep ur head up it could get better!

Ospsy your upcoming surgergies sound very unpleasant. How long will you be in the hospital? I am glad you have a good rheumy!

Goodness! We are people with serious illnesses. I firmly believe we should change Rheumatologists if one is unkind or unsure or lacks expertise. I wonder if we can recommend hospitals on this site. I have to travel but it's well worth it. manny--I can't believe you had kindey failure! I feel so sorry for you guys. I have to say though, I live in a place sort of like DOGPATCH. I have saved my pennies to go to great M.D's. It's well worth it. I'm certainly not a model patient but, I do have a "PERFECT" team of M.D.'s. Come on you guys, don't go to anyone who blows you off!!!!!

UlrikeCT-- You know, I never bothered to ask how long I would be hospitalized for. I will ask that at my presurgical consult though. I assumed out-patient, but my husband scoffed at that and said "you must be dreaming"... so honestly, I don't know. I thought most surgeries these days were out-patient.

My surgical date is the 15th (moved from the 8th due to more testing).

My rheumy is the absolute best but I did go through two prior to finding him. I live in Florida, Treasure Coast, so if anyone is near there, I would give you his information.

Hi Oopsy, I am thinking too that they will keep you for a couple of days. The recovery time will last who knows how long?
With my surgery I was in the hospital for 9 days, after 3 weeks back in for 3 more days.
Keep us posted.
Hugs
U